Saturday, March 8, 2014

Hello Japan! (part 6 - Tokyo videos)

This next post in my Japan travel series shall consist of only videos taken in Tokyo. I find that pictures alone cannot capture the moods and sounds that are necessary to recreate that moment in time. Only with videos can memories be truly frozen to be savoured in the future.

The quintessential way to travel within the city. Tokyo is a place where a car really feels redundant.

The scene at a typical metro station platform. There is a greeter at all exit gates who greets anyone that walks past. Where else in the world can you find such service in public train stations?

This is a sample of the jingles heard before the train doors close, which are different for different stations. This is handy for people who cannot see which station they are at due to overcrowding in trains. I was told each jingle represents something unique to that area.

Shinjuku is the busiest train station in the world. I was shocked when I took an elevator from B6 to the surface to realise there are six floors. You can get totally lost if you don't know where to look.

I chanced upon this live performance at Akihabara, where electronics of all kinds are sold. There was not a single female in sight in the audience, only geeks. This singer must be really popular among the Tokyo geekdom.

Here are two clips of performances held at the Aisotope Lounge (the second clip features a drag trio who sings live and has their own albums—they are very good). Aisotope is a place where there is a different gay sub-culture compared to the other bars and clubs in the Shinjuku Ni Chome area. People there are young and showcase a very avant garde dress sense—definitely an eye-opening experience.

Pandemonium at the Tsukiji Fish Market. If only there were less people then I could actually get to see the merchandise on sale.

This is the street scene at Harajuku. The cosplay kids no longer surface there but how great would it be if they still did.

The countdown to 2014 at The Ring, the biggest gay party in the city.

This the full clip of all the "illegal" recordings I made during the countdown party (including the clip of the actual countdown). Filming is supposedly not allowed.

Walking in the CBD subway tunnel on New Year's Day. It was eerily quiet at the Nihonbashi station—strange but refreshing.

Meanwhile it was really bustling in Ikebukuro, where people flocked to on New Year's Day to soak in the festive atmosphere.

A walk through in Ikebukuro on New Year's Day. I love these exploratory walks for you don't know what you will encounter at the next corner.